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Valencia - ESP08/05/2011

Another podium for Maserati

Maserati secured another podium finish on the back of its first series win. At Valencia for the second round of the season, Andrea Bertolini, who had earlier steered the Swiss Team Quattroporte Evo to victory, again shone in taking the runners-up spot from Luigi Ferrara and his Caal Racing Mercedes C63 AMG. This means that Maserati’s official tester is third in the championship despite missing Race 2 at Monza (he placed third in Race 1).

Bertolini again started from pole after he set an electric lap time in qualifying. Unlike Race 1, at the rolling start Bertolini couldn’t hold off Ferrara and maintain the lead. As well as being disadvantaged by racing against a bigger-engined and more powerful car in the Mercedes, the race saw the four-time FIA GT champion also carrying a 30 kg win handicap after his success in Race 1. This meant that his acceleration was penalised and the ballast also affected the brakes and tyres.